Precooling apparatus



Nov. 23, 1937. J. R. I Ewls x-:T Al. 2,099,815

PRECOOLING APPARATUS Filed May 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 23,

.l R.I EVV1S ET AL PRECOOLING APPARATUS Filed May 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Hmmm/1,4

Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRECOOLING APPARATUS Application May 9, 1936, Serial No. 78,914

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus designed primarily for pre-cooling loaded refrigerator cars.

As is well known to lthose skilled in the art it is the general practice, after a car has been 5 loaded with fruits or vegetables to set up a forced circulation of air for the purpose of reducing the temperature of the fruit as much as possible before finally filling the bunkers and sealing the car preparatory to its departure.

Apparatus thus far employed for this purpose has been objectionable because the cooling action has not taken place evenly throughout the bulk of the lading.

An object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby 'chilled air delivered from the bunkers by blowers provided for that purpose will be directed to the center of the car before returning to the bunkers for recooling, this action resulting in a more equal distribution ofA the chilled air than has heretofore been possible.

A further object is to provide for the purpose stated an arrangement of distributing ducts which are extended toward each other from the bunkers, these ducts and the parts cooperating therewith being so constructed and mounted that it is possible, following the chilling operation, to remove the apparatus at a point adjacent to the center of the car so that it is not necessary for the operator to move back and forth over the lading and damage it in order to remove the apparatus following the pre-cooling operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a refrigerator car equipped with the precooling apparatus constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 Figure 1.

50 Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one of the units of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the unitsv collapsed and positioned adjacent to the center of the car whereby the apparatus can 55 be removed readily.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of one of the track couplings.

Referring to the gures by characters of reference,-C dgnates a refrigerator car of the usual or any preferred construction wherein bunkers 5` B are located at the ends and adapted to be lled with ice I in the usual way. A door D is located as usual adjacent to the center of either or both sides of the car and this door is adapted to be sealed after the car has beenloaded. 10

Each of the bunkers has a cold air outlet O near its top, opening into the interior of the car and each bunker also communicates at its bottom with the interior of the car through a passage P. Thus itis possible for air to circulate upl5 wardly from passage P through the ice and thence back into the car through the outlets O.

The lading is adapted to be arranged between the bunkers, the refrigerator being loaded in the usual manner and the lading being located on a 20 slat bottom S so that air is free to circulate through it. In the drawings the lading has been indicated at L.

The apparatus constituting the present invention includes eyes I which are secured to the 25 bunkers directly over the centers of the outlets O and extending downwardly into each of these eyes is one iinger 2 of a yoke 3 the other nger 4 of which is inclined downwardly at a slight angle toward the finger 2. 30

The lingers 4 of the two yokes are engaged by eyes 5 at the ends of an adjustable supporting cable or track 6 made up of sections joined by a turnbuckle 1. 'I'hus when the cable is tightened the eyes 5 will be securely hooked on the fingers 4 and as these ngers are inclined, the eyes cannot slip from them as long as the cable is taut.

Tapered baiiles 8 formed preferably of light canvas or other suitable material are lightly tacked at their bases to the walls of the bunkers as shown at 9 so that air leaving each outlet O will thus enter the baffle. Each baille constitutes one end portion of one 'of the pre-cooling units and the small end of the baiile extends around a tube I0 which has hooks II detachably mounted 45 on and adapted to slide along the cable 6. This tube carries' a suitable electric motor I2 which is of such size as not to interfere objectionably with the free flow of air longitudinally within the tube. A fan I3 is carried and driven by the motor and, when in operation, will act to withdraw air from the outlet O and direct it through the tube.

Extending from 'that end of the tube remote from the baffle 8 is a distributing duct I4 formed 55 of light canvas or other suitable material and having one or more hooks I5 detachably engaging the cable 8 for slidably supporting the duct therefrom.

A suitable switch or control box or panel is located at a point outside the car as indicated at I8 and a conducting cable I1 leads thereto for -supplylng current. Strong armored cables I8 for conducting electricity are extended from this panel I8 into the car and to the respective tubes I8 so that current can thus be directed to the respective motors.

The several parts of the apparatus are placed in position before the refrigerator car has been loaded.' Thereafter the lading is placed in position and after the bunkers have been filled with ice the car is closed and the fans I8 set in motion. Consequently air will be withdrawn through th'e outlets O and propelled through the ducts I4 so as to be delivered into the refrigerator car adjacent to the center thereof. 'I'he chilled air can then ilow downwardly through the lading, first chilling that portion nearest the center which is the warmest part of the vrefrigerator and then flowing back into passages P and upwardly through the ice so that the air can be recooled and the circulation continued. After the lading has been completely pre-cooled in the manner described the operator enters the refrigerator at the center and pulls upon the adjacent cables I8 so as to draw the tubes I0 toward the center of the refrigerator. As the bailles 8 are attached to the tubes they will be torn away at their lightly tacked edges from the walls of the bunkers and will travel with the tubes until the two units are brought to positions within reach of the operator at the center of the refrigerator. The bailles 8 are then tucked into the tubes at one end while the ducts are detached from the cable 6 and tucked into the other ends of the tubes. This has been shown in Figure 4.

Thereafter the two tubes are lifted ofi.' of the 'cables 8 and, with their cables I 8, are removed from the car. Turnbucklel I is then operated to loosen cable 6 so that the eyes 5 at the ends thereof will be free to drop off of the ngers 4 of yokes 8. 'I'he sections of the cable 6 can then be wrapped about the respective units and the refrigerator car sealed and its bunkers lled. The car is then ready to be started on its trip.

Obviously by providing apparatus such as described the same can be removed readily without the necessity of climbing over the lading in order to reach the bunkers and detach the ends of the cables 6. Instead the entire lading is left undisturbed following its pre-.cooling and the apparatus employed can be easily and quickly withdrawn preparatory to being reinstalled in another refrigerator car.

What is claimed is:

1. Pre-cooling apparatus including support engaging couplings, having depending portions, a track element having ends for engagement with said portions, said element including tension means for maintaining the ends thereof in engagement with the depending portions while said element is under tension but for releasing said ends for gravitation from said portions when tension is relieved, and air forcing means detachably carried by and movable along said element.

2. Pre-cooling apparatus including support engaging couplings, having depending portions, .a track element having ends for engagement with 'said portions, said element including tension means for maintaining the ends thereof in engagement with the depending portions while said element is under tension but for releasing said ends for gravitation from said portions when tension is relieved, air forcing means detachably n carried by and movable along said element, said means including a tube, a duct leading from one end thereof, and a blower in the tube.

3. Pre-cooling apparatus including support engaging couplings, having depending portions, a track element having ends for engagement with said portions, said element including tension means for maintaining the ends thereof in engagement with the depending portions while said element is under tension but for releasing said ends for gravitation from said portions when tension is relieved, and air forcing means detachably carried by and movable along said element, said means including a tube, a blower therein, means for directing air into one end of the tube, and a distributing duct leading from the other end thereof.

4. Pre-cooling apparatus including support engaging couplings, having depending portions, a track element having ends for engagement with said portions, said element including tension means for maintaining the ends thereof in engagement with the dependingportions while said element is under tension but for releasing said' nds for gravitation from said portions when ension is relieved, and air forcing means detachably carried by and movable along said element, said means including a tube, a blower therein, an intake baille extending to one end of'the tube, and an outlet duct leading from the other end of the tube, said baille and duct being collapsible into the tube.

5. The combination with a refrigerator having opposed bunkers each with an air outlet, of a track element including an intermediate tensioning means, means for holding said element coupled to the bunkers while under tension and for releasing it for gravitation when tension is relieved, and a pre-cooling unit detachably and slidably mounted on said element, said unit including a tube, a motor driven blower therein, a baille carried by the tube and detachably joined to the bunker for directing air from the bunker outlet to the tube, la distributing duct extending from the tube, and means for pulling the tube to forcibly detach the baille from the bunker and propel the unit along the track element.

6. The combination with a refrigerator having a bunker,V of a track element detachably supported and leading to the bunker and including means operable at a point remote from the bunker for releasing said element from its support, and air forcing means detachably carried `by and movable along said element into or out of position adjacent to the bunker.

7. The combination with a refrigerator having a bunker, of a track element detachably supported and leading to the bunker, said element including means operable at a point remote from the bunker for releasing said element from its support, air forcing means detachably carried by and movable along said element into or out of position `adjacent to the bunker, and means operable at a point remote from the bunker for shifting said forcing means along the track element and away from the bunker.

8. The combination with a refrigerator having a bunker, of a track element detachably supported and leading to the bunker, air forcing means carried by said element and normally positioned adjacent to the bunker, and means op- 10. The combination with a refrigerator having a bunker with an opening, of a track element,

- a tube positioned for receiving air from said opening, a collapsible duct extending from the tube, means for setting up a current of air through the tube and duct from the opening, means for movably supporting the tube and duct on the track element, and means operable at a point remote from the bunker for drawing the tube and duct along the track element and away from 10 the bunker.v

' JAMES R. LEWIS.

SIDNEY PERKINS.

FITZ J. LEWIS. 

